First-Ever Doritos MLG Pro-Gaming Combine Debuts in Nashville

NEW YORK, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspiring professional video gamers from the South East region will now have a chance to make their dreams a reality at the Doritos MLG Pro-Gaming Combine on March 26 – 28 at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.  Nashville marks the first stop on the four-city tour of the first-ever nationwide skills challenge in competitive video gaming history.

MLG pros from around the South East region scheduled to attend include some of the biggest talent in the league:

• Michael 'Strongside' Cavanaugh of Edgewood, Ky.; a member of the 2007 MLG Pro Circuit National Championship Team, Final Boss
• Justin 'Pistola' Deese of West Columbia, N.C.; a member of Triggers Down, the number one ranked team during the 2009 MLG Pro Circuit season
• Anthony 'Totz' Pennacchio of Bloomingdale, Ill.; the newest member of the storied MLG Pro Circuit team franchise, Final Boss
• Wes 'Clutch' Price of Memphis, Tenn.; a member of the 2009 MLG Pro Circuit National Championship Team, Believe the Hype

Players are flocking to www.doritoscombine.com daily for information about where they can hone their skills online and get a first-hand taste of the level of competition they will see in person at the Doritos MLG Pro-Gaming Combine. More than 1,200 individual players and 256 teams of four competing in the 4X4 bracket have filled the playing field to date.  Individuals competing in the Free For All (FFA) can still sign up online through March 22 or in-person on the first day of the event.

Spectators can attend free of charge to cheer on their friends and family members, or they can sign up to compete in one-off competitions against other spectators, and meet many of MLG's pros and personalities in person.

MLG pros and personalities will be holding eight strategy seminars on Friday and Saturday to help aspiring players elevate their games to a new level.  Topics include: "The Mental Game," "Support Players," and "Team Captains." An interactive Q&A session with each pro will be held on Sunday.

Full details about the event are available at www.doritoscombine.com, including specifics about the Combine format and other upcoming events.  

Doritos MLG Pro-Gaming Combine

At each three-day Combine, more than 400 players will be selected and evaluated by the MLG in key areas including: communication, accuracy, decision making and situational performance.

A total of eight Combine winners will be chosen, which will consist of the top four-person team and four individual players.  Each winner will receive:

• $500 cash prize
• Roundtrip airfare of up to $500 per trip to attend the MLG Pro Circuit Competition and National Championship Competition (pending eligibility for Doritos brand Finals Event)
• 3-days lodging to attend the MLG Pro Circuit Competition; team pass; ability to play on a Feature Station
• Free entry into the Halo 3 Pro Circuit Event; opportunity to purchase reserved team pass
• Profile page on Doritos MLG Pro-Gaming Combine Web site
• The ability to play on a Feature Station at the upcoming Pro Circuit Competition
• Gaming prize package, including Astro Gaming Headset, Flip Video™ Camera and more
• Combine winner jersey

The series of nationwide Combine competitions will culminate with a Finals Event, where four players will receive MLG pro status.  

The Doritos MLG Pro-Gaming Combine is a first-of-its-kind initiative, bringing together thousands of amateurs with MLG Pros and League officials across America.  The partnership provides aspiring gamers with a rigorous testing ground that showcases their skills and an opportunity to further gain exposure through MLG's thriving community of players.  

ABOUT FRITO-LAY

Doritos tortilla chips is one of the many brand that make up Frito-Lay North America, the $12 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo, which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo business units include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fritolay.

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales.  Our main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries.  With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose.  By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide.  For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE GAMING

Founded in 2002, Major League Gaming (MLG) is the dominant media property exclusively targeting the approximately 40 million consumers in North America who have a passion for playing video games as a competitive social activity. The company exclusively represents the best professional gamers and gives millions of aspiring gamers around the world an opportunity to compete, improve their skills, and socialize through our thriving online competitive community and live Pro Circuit competitions. For more information: www.mlgpro.com.

SOURCE Major League Gaming